Scribing instrument



Jan. 4, 1949. J. RUGER scRIBING INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 2, 1944 INVENTOR. H/V Fue/e Patented Jan. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SCRIBING INSTRUMENT John Ruger, Freeport, N..Y.

Application December 2, 1944, Serial No.'566,3'14

(Cl. S-3l) 2 Claims.

1 Thisinvention relates to what might be generally termed a scriber, but can more generally be dened as an instrument -ior moving a scribing or other tool through a predetermined and preadjusted path controlled by the instrument.r

More particularly, the invention deals with instruments of this kind adapted for use in guiding a scriber or other tool through a curved `path or from. a very narrow ellipse, nearing the straight line to a circular path, the various movements of the scriber or tool being governed to `an extent by the size or capacity of the movement .of the instrument employed. The novel featuresiof the invention will be best understood from the following description when taken together with'the accompanying drawing, in which certain Vembodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views; and in which:

Fig. l is a plan View of an instrument made according to my invention, showing vparts `thereof in another position in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 ofr Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rsection. on the line 3-3 of Fig.. yl.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the instrument as shown in Fig. 1, with parts of the .construction broken away and in section,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the operating mechanism which 'I `employ detached.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of other parts of the instrument detached; and

Figs. 7 Yand 8 are diagrammatic plan views showing the complete cyclel of operation of the instrument, showing two positions .in Vfull lines and two positions indotted lines in saidgures In instruments of the type and kind under consideration, commonlyreferred to as ellipsographs, difficulty has been experienced lby linlitations in the operations .of the instruments'an'd one 'ofv'these difficulties has been 'the inability to scribe the' circles or to Yscribe the materially attened ellipses lapproaching what might bey termed. a

straight line.

It is one of the distinctive featuresfof my invention to provide an instrument ci the kind under consideration which by reason of the construction employed, enables the instrument to make any type or form of ellipse as well as the circle in any size within the limits of koperation of the instrument. It is vhere to loe-kept in mind' that the instrument .may be constructed indifferent sizes to adapt it for-diferentzuses.: 1 v1.

Another ydistinctive feature 'ofthe invention resides in theV transmission of Athezmotionrof theY instrument to a scriber widely spaced with respect to the operating mechanism of the instrument to operate within an open or yoke shaped end of the instrument and in utilizing the end extremities of the side walls of the .instrument as a gage for arrangement on the worksheet.

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, ID represents the frame of the instrument. The base of this frame comprises a horizontal wall or platform Il supported by depending side walls vI2l having inturned anges 13; of theY base are turned downwardly, as seen `at I4', note Fig. 3, and form guides for .alining the instrument with a line drawn upon' a worksheet and indicated by the dot and dash line I 5' in Figs. l and 4 of the drawing. The wall or platform II including side walls l2, are Icutout at one end of the instrument'to forma large operating opening I5 in which at least part of the scribing is adapted to take'place, as' will clearlyappear from a consideration of Figs. l1 and 4 of the drawing.

The 'frame Ill also includes centrally and longitudinally 'thereof a supplemental raised yoke shaped frame Il comprising a top Wall I8 joining the platform l! in-end walls' i9 and 20. It will also appear that the wall I I includes a d'ownwardly extending ilange'or wall 2| at the inner endv of the opening I-I and another wall Z2" at what may be termed the rear end of the 'instrument. The wall 2l has an outwardly extending center pointer 23 and the wall 22 has a corresponding center pointer 24.

The wall or platform II has an elongated and transversely extending aperture or channel 25 and the supplemental frame or the top wall I8 thereof has a. corresponding `longitudinally :extending aperture or channel 26 arranged at right angles' to and crossing the aperture 25 centrally one with'respe'ct to the other. One of the distinctive features of my invention resides in the use of the continuous uninterrupted and unbroken 'apertures 25 and 26 'spaced one above `the other, thus providing complete operation ci the mechanism for actuating'the scriber to the end of .forming circles as well as an unlimited range o'f ellipses.

Resting upon the iianges I3 and movable thereover, longitudinally of the walls I2, is a scriber operating plate 2l shown detached in Fig. 6. On

theplate 21 .isrslidably supported another platev 23 vhaving'franges 29 at the ends thereof engaging tlieplate -21 to guide thefplatei-B `inits sliding lmovement in the directionaof `the ends of theplate 2:1, orin dtherwordain 'a:.directicn vat right The iianges I3 at `one end.

junction with which the pointer 23 operates to Y guide the adjustment of both of the plates 21 and 28 in the frame in the setting of the instrument to scribe circles, ellipses or other marks or paths of movement of the member 3| or thev scriber or other tools supported therein. k

35 while the line 34 is in registration with the pointer 23 and the pointer 24 is also registering with the line 35. In this setting or positioning of the parts, the scriber 3| will assume a predetermined distance outwardly of the line I on the line 35. This can represent a starting point and in this posi-tion the arm 59 will assume the position shown in full lines in Fig. i, and also in the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and the full line position indicated in Fig. 7,

By turning the crank a quarter of a revolution, bringing the same to the dotted line position of Figs. 1 and 7, the scriber will have completed one quarter of an ellipse, as indicated by the dot and dash lines 52 in said figures. The

" crank is then moved from the dotted line posiwith the axis of Ithe cylinder 3| so that the scriber point can be positioned on another line on the worksheet or workpiece.' The other pointer 24 being brought in registration with the line 35 for proper setting of the instrument, the line or mark 35 being at right angles to the line or mark I5.

The plates 2'| and 28 may be considered a projector unit for projecting the motion contributed to a primary scribing stud or curved generating member 36 constitu-ting part of the actuating mechanism generally identiied by the reference character 3l in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The mechanism 31 comprises a lower straight link or armv 38 and a vU-shapedlink or arm 39, the

'link 39 comprising a long upper plate 40 and a short lower plate 4I. United with the plate 4I through the medium of a bushing 42 is a slide 43 adapted to operate upon the link 38. In threaded engagement with the bushing v42 is a screw having a large milled head 44 positioned between the plates 49 and 4| and of suicient diameter to be accessible atthe sides of said plates for adjustment. This screw is adapted to bear against the link 38 in adjusting the position of the links 38 and 39 one with respect to the other. The stud 36 is integral with one end of the link 38 and this stud'is adapted to operate in an aperture 45 in the plate 28, as clearly seen in Fig.3.

Adjustable on the link 39 is a slide 46 substantially the same as'the slide 43 and includes a bushing portion 4l in which is arranged a milled head screw 48 to clamp the slide 46 in different positions of adjustment on the link 39. This adjustment is guided by the left end portion of the slide, as seen in Fig. 5, set iny alinement with the scale markings 49 on the upper surface of the link 39. Secured lto the bushing 41 is a crank arm 50 having a knob or :linger piece 5| by which said arm may be rotated.

It will appear from a consideration of Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing that the bushings 42 and 41 operate in the. elongated apertures 25.

and 26 respectively of the main and supplemental frames I6 and Il. In adjusting the instrument, the screw 44 and the screw 48 will be loosened and the pointer 23 brought into registering alinement with a predetermined marking of the scale 33, after which the screw 44 is tightened. The slide 46 is then brought into registering alinement With the marking on the scale 49 and the screw 48 is tightened. The instru ment is now placed with theV ends I4 in register" Y tion of Fig. 7 to the full line position of Fig. 8, and the next successive quarter of the ellipse will be formed, bringing the parts to the full line position diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 8,

after which another quarter revolution of the crank 50 will bring the parts to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 8, and will form the third successive quarter of the ellipse designated by the dot and dash lines 53 in Fig. 8, after which in Figs. I and 1, the axis of the bushing 4l moves` to the center of the aperture 26, whereas the bushing 42 moves upwardly in the slot 2 5 as viewed on the drawing, thus bringing the stud 36 of the link 38 to a position in alinement with the center longitudinal line of the aperture 25, thus bringing the plate 28 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the plate 2l' to the corresponding dotted line position of said iigure. Considering the instrument as seen in the drawing, the plate 28 is moved upwardly and at the same time, the plate 2 is moved to the right, thus bringing the center of the scriber at the point of intersection with the line I5, indicated at 54 in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In the second quarter operation, the plate 27 will be moved further to the right, carrying with it the plate 28 which will then again assume a centralized position with the scriber again registering with the line 35, and in the third quarter position of the parts, the plate 2l will assume the position similar to that shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, with the plate 28 offset downwardly instead of upwardly, as seen in Fig; 1, with the scriber again registering with the line I5. In the last cycle, the parts will return to the full line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

From the foregoing, the operation of the actuating `mechanisin`37` will be clearly understood.

At the same time, the varied adjustments of the links one with respect to the other, and gaged by the scales 33 and 49, will provide movement of a'scriber defining at as well as thick ellipses of differenty sizes within the range of the instrument as well as true circles. In other words, if the distance'travelled along the lines i5 and 35 by the scriber are equal with respect to the intersection at 55, note Fig. 4, a circular path will' have been travelled by the Vscriber.

It will .be understood that the illustrations in .I 'ther accompanying drawing areV somewhat diagrammatic with respect to the construction and assemblage of the parts. In more elaborate instruments, suitable anti-frictional bearings and the like can be employed as and where needed for smooth and free operation of the parts. However, an instrument of the plain and economical construction illustrated, made from more or less sheet material, can be operated very successfully in producing the desired results. It will also be apparent that the question of spacing the parts can be materially reduced to keep the complete instrument as thin as possible while at the same time providing free movement of the respective parts one over` the other and within the main and supplemental frames.

It will appear from the foregoing that no real fixed axis is maintained as both of the axes dened by the screws 44 and 48 are circumferentially shifting in the apertures 25 and 26 and in this motion, the scriber stud 36 travels through the path governed by the predetermined adjustment, for example, the elliptical path illustrated in Figs. l and 4 of the drawing. This motion of the stud 36 is transmitted to the projector mechanism basically comprising the plates 21 and 28 in order to perform the scribing by a scriber or other tool at a point remote with respect to the path of travel of the primary scriber stud 36.

I-Iaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An instrument of the class described comprising a frame having spaced upper and lower walls, each wall having an elongated aperture, the aperture of one wall being arranged at right angles to the aperture of the other wall, said apertures crossing each other centrally with respect to the length of said apertures, an actuating mechanism comprising a pair of arms, a bushing having a xed position on one arm and movable in the aperture of the lower wall and adjustable longitudinally of the second arm, means axially of said bushing for adjustably and iixedly coupling the same with the second arm, a second bushing movable in the aperture of the upper wall and adjustable longitudinally of the rst arm, means clamping the second bushing on the rst arm, a curve generator member on the second arm spaced with respect to said rst bushing and movable in a path determined by relative adjustment of said bushings on said arms, manually rotatable means for operating said mechanism to move said member through a complete predeter mined path in each revolution thereof, a projector mechanism comprising relatively sliding plates, one plate being slidably mounted in the frame, the other plate being arranged directly upon and slidably engaging the iirst plate, said member being directly pivoted to the second named plate, and means on the second named plate in wide spaced relationship to the rst named plate for supporting a scribing instrument.

2. In an instrument of the character described, having a rectangular frame, a, plate mounted to slide longitudinally of the frame, another plate slidably engaging the first plate, said last named plate having means supporting a scribing instru ment thereon, said plates comprising projector means of the instrument, a mechanism for actuating said projector means, said mechansm comprising a pair of arms, one arm having a curve generating member coupled with the second named plate, means comprising a bushing with a clamp screw axially of the bushing for adjustably clamping said arm with the other of said arms, another clamp bushing adjustably clamped to the last named arm, means in the frame arranged in crossed relationship to each other and engaging the bushings of said arms for guiding said mechanism in the frame, and manually actuated means fixed to the last named bushing for actuating said mechanism.

JOHN RUGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 16,175 Campbell Dec. 9, 1856 830,784 Hanes et al Sept. 11, 1906 1,029,515 Schreiber June 11, 1912 1,168,081 Kirk et al. Jan. 11, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 35,151 Australia Nov. 10, 1908 78,015 Germany Nov. 20, 1894 

